Travel advice: What to do if your luggage goes missing at the airport

After the shock photos showing mountains of luggage piled up at London’s Heathrow Airport final month, you would be forgiven for worrying concerning the probability of shedding your individual suitcase in your subsequent journey.

Personally, I very almost skilled that sinking feeling whereas ready shut to 2 hours for my very own bag at Sydney Worldwide Airport after getting back from abroad simply final week – although fortunately a couple of extra containers have been situated and, with that, additionally my suitcase.

Even earlier than the pandemic, misplaced baggage was already the second most common travel mishap Aussies needed to take care of, in keeping with a survey by Finder.

“Misplaced baggage is the very last thing you need to occur whenever you’re on vacation,” James Martin, Finder journey insurance coverage professional, tells 9Honey.

So what must you do if the carousel stops spinning and you continue to have not acquired your baggage? Right here, we break it down.

READ MORE: Traveller goes to extraordinary lengths to retrieve lost luggage at airport

Earlier than you journey

“Relaxation assured, there are issues you are able to do to extend your possibilities of discovering your belongings, or receiving compensation for a whole loss,” Martin explains, saying it is necessary to place in place some measures to guard your self if the worst occurs.

“Earlier than you jet off, make sure that your baggage is clearly labelled together with your identify and call particulars safely inside.

“In the event you can, preserve laptops/tablets or different valuables like jewelry in your keep it up.”

And naturally, purchase journey insurance coverage. Plus, there are a couple of useful hacks others have shared on-line, one in every of which Martin additionally recommends.

“Take into account further measures equivalent to an [Apple] Airtag or tile – that means, in case your bag does go lacking, you can observe its location in your cellphone.”

1. File a report

In case your baggage do not make it to the bags carousel at your vacation spot, the very first thing you must do is full a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) immediately with the airline you flew in on, Martin explains.

“In the event you had flights on a number of airways, you may have to lodge the PIR with the airline that you simply final flew on.

“Make sure to embody as a lot details about your baggage as attainable. Noting the approximate dimension, model, color, and any figuring out marks equivalent to baggage tags or ribbons will assist to enhance your possibilities of getting it again.

“Your PIR report can have a reference quantity that you should use to trace the standing of your baggage as soon as it has been situated.

“It’s the airline’s duty to compensate you for getting requirements till you might be reunited together with your belongings, equivalent to a toothbrush, underwear and socks.”

Whereas your baggage is delayed, it stays the airline’s duty to find it and ship it to you. Except possibly you are feeling like taking issues into your individual fingers like this Irish gentleman, who actually bought another plane ticket to keep searching for his family’s luggage on the airport.

2. Delayed vs misplaced baggage

As soon as you have left the airport, the one factor you are able to do is hope that your misplaced baggage will flip up and preserve checking in with the airline.

Some airways gives you a monitoring quantity that you should use to regulate any progress on-line. With others, chances are you’ll have to make a couple of cellphone calls.

Greatest case situation, you may discover out your baggage has been held up and your airline ought to make preparations to get your belongings again to you as quickly as attainable. Most airways will organise a courier to ship your baggage to your lodging.

Formally, you may want to attend three weeks or 21 days for the standing of your baggage to vary from ‘delayed’ to ‘misplaced’, earlier than you may take every other motion.

3. Declare compensation out of your airline

If the airline cannot find your belongings in that three week interval, you can obtain compensation on your loss, Finder explains.

For home journey in Australia:

Airways should compensate you for misplaced baggage underneath the Civil Aviation (Carriers’ Liability) Act 1959 or complementary state laws. Airline legal responsibility for loss or harm is restricted to $1,600 per passenger for checked baggage and $160 per passenger on your carry-on.

For worldwide journey:

Airways are ruled by two worldwide treaties: the Warsaw Convention of 1929 and the Montreal Convention of 1999:

The place the Montreal Conference applies, airways are accountable for as much as 1,131 Particular Drawing Rights (SDRs) per passenger – a type of worldwide cash, created by the Worldwide Financial Fund, equal to roughly $1,735. That is the entire quantity you can obtain for each checked and carry-on baggage.

Below the Warsaw Conference for worldwide journey, airways are accountable for as much as 250 francs (about AUD$30) for every kilo of your checked baggage or 5,000 francs (about AUD$600) on your carry-on baggage.

READ MORE: Awkward moment passenger tries to beat baggage rules at airport

4. Lodge a journey insurance coverage declare

Whilst you’ll obtain some cash from the airways as talked about above, usually the precise worth of the lacking belongings can add as much as far more.

If there is a shortfall between what the airline pays you and that worth, that is when you may lodge a declare for the distinction together with your journey insurance coverage.

“In the event you’re bringing issues of excessive worth, make sure that to take out a journey insurance coverage coverage that can cowl the worth of your merchandise. You may normally pay a bit additional to cowl these valuables” Martin factors out.

What occurs to misplaced baggage at airports?

Airways normally give themselves a most of 90 days to seek out the proprietor of misplaced baggage earlier than auctioning it off to the very best bidder or donating the contents to charity.

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